Recently, a computer network is being popularized and above all, the Internet on a world scale attracts notice. Services in the Internet are received by a terminal constituted by a computer 93 connected to the Internet mainly as shown in FIG. 14.
Each terminal in the Internet is provided with its proper internet protocol (IP) address and if each terminal accesses to another terminal and communicates with it, the location of the terminal in a computer network is specified based upon this IP address and processing for access and communication is performed. This IP address is expressed in the shape that a dot is put between four numbers as 128.1.2.3.
In World Wide Web (WWW) as an information retrieval system (service) utilizing the Internet, a variety of information can be accessed via Uniform Resource Locator (URL). This URL is expressed by a character string such as "http://www.abc.co.jp.""http" in it shows a protocol name and "www.abc.co.jp" shows the name of a host (server) (a domain name). The name of a host (a domain name) is converted to its IP address by Domain Name System (DNS) set in relation to the Internet.
If a terminal is constituted by a computer 93 as shown in FIG. 14, its user inputs an IP address and a URL character string via his/her keyboard 91 and mouse 92, checking them on his/her display 94.
At present, such a terminal is mainly used to receive a computer network service, however, it is conceivable that in future a computer network service can be received by controlling a television set by an information display control unit such as a set-top box (STB).
For example, as shown in FIGS. 15A and 15B, STB 4 provided with a modem can communicate data with another terminal (server) by connecting it to a television set 6 and connecting it to the Internet via a telephone line.
As a variety of operations are more often performed on such a television set 6 by remote control using a remote controller and others than they are performed nearby a unit as a terminal shown in FIG. 14, it is conceivable that such a unit on which operations by remote control is enabled in addition to conventional operations is used even if an IP address and a character string such as URL are input.
For example, it is conceivable that a character string is input using a remote controller shown in FIGS. 16 to 19, a wireless keyboard shown in FIG. 20 and a wireless tablet shown in FIG. 21.
Referring to a remote controller shown in FIG. 16, twenty-six alphabetic letters are allocated to three split functional buttons 121. When a user presses the side of "+" or "-" of each button, the signal is sent to STB 4 shown in FIG. 15A or 15B. STB 4 generates a video signal based upon the signal, instructs to display alphabetic letters, for example in a window 103 on the screen of a television set 6 shown in FIG. 15B and changes them to other ones. A user performs the selective input of an alphabetic letter by pressing a predetermined button when a predetermined alphabetic letter is displayed.
A remote controller shown in FIG. 17 is provided with a cursor button 122 and when a user operates this cursor button 122, the signal is sent to STB 4 shown in FIG. 15A or 15B. STB 4 instructs to display a cursor 102 on the screen of a television set 6 as shown in FIG. 15A and moves the cursor according to the signal.
Therefore, a user operates the cursor button 122 to move the cursor 102 to the position of a predetermined alphabetic key in a keyboard 101 displayed on the screen and inputs the alphabetic letter selectively by pressing a definition button 123.
Or as shown in FIG. 15B, alphabetic letters displayed in the window 103 can be changed by displaying predetermined alphabetic letters in the window 103 and operating the right button 122-1 and the left button 122-2 of the cursor button and selective input can be performed by pressing the definition button 123 when a predetermined alphabetic letter is displayed in the center of the window 103.
A remote controller shown in FIG. 18 is provided with a track ball 124 and when a user operates a track ball 124, the signal is sent to STB 4 shown in FIG. 15A or 15B. STB 4 instructs a television set 6 to display a cursor 102 and moves the cursor according to the signal.
As described above, a user moves the cursor 102 to the position of a predetermined alphabetic key in the keyboard 101 displayed on the screen as shown in FIG. 15A by operating the track ball 124 and selectively inputs the alphabetic letter by pressing the definition button 125.
Or as shown in FIG. 15B, a user instructs to display a predetermined number of alphabetic letters in the window 103, changes alphabetic letters displayed in the window 103 by moving the track ball 124 left and right and can input a predetermined alphabetic letter by pressing the definition button 125 when the above letter is displayed in the center of the window 103.
A remote controller shown in FIG. 19 is provided with a tablet 126. When a user writes a letter on this tablet 126, the written letter (the handwritten letter) is sent to STB 4 after it is converted to the corresponding character data and is displayed in a predetermined window 104 on the television set 6.
A wireless keyboard shown in FIG. 20 sends character data corresponding to a key pressed by a user to STB 4 and STB 4 instructs a television set 6 to display the letter in a predetermined window 104 on the television set 6.
Referring to a wireless tablet shown in FIG. 21, when a user writes a letter on the tablet, the written letter (the handwritten letter) is sent to STB 4 after it is converted to the corresponding character code and is displayed in a predetermined window on a television set 6.
As described above, if a character string such as an IP address and URL required for a computer network service is input to an information display control unit such as STB, it is conceivable that a letter is input in order using a remote controller, a wireless keyboard or a wireless tablet, checking an input letter on the screen of a television set 6 on the receiving side.
However, as a character string is required to be input, always checking an input letter on the screen of the receiving side if such a remote controller, wireless keyboard or wireless tablet is used, it is difficult to check a character string on the screen depending upon the size and the quality of the screen of the receiving side and it is impossible to input a character string in a position distant from the screen of the receiving side. Further, there is a problem that if a wireless keyboard is used, operability is bad because speed for sending and processing to display a letter corresponding to a pressed key on the screen is slower than speed at which a user presses a key.